During normal operation of a firearm, when a round is fired, gas from the burning propellant forces the bullet through the barrel. As the bullet travels down and out of the barrel, the bullet and the propellant gases act on the barrel, along the longitudinal axis, or centerline, of the barrel, to produce a recoil force. Because of the difference between the longitudinal axis of the barrel and the average point of contact between the firearm and the user (the average point where the user resists the recoil force), the muzzle end of the firearm's barrel rotates upward. Such muzzle rise, or muzzle climb, is particularly evident for firearms having gripping features (e.g., a stock or grip) arranged such that a vertical distance (i.e., the moment arm) between the center line of the barrel and a center of contact with the shooter is particularly large. The muzzle riseor muzzle climb is not solely in an upward direction. For a right handed shooter, the muzzle rise or muzzle climb includes a vector somewhat to the right (from the shooter's perspective) of directly “up.” Accordingly, after firing a shot, the shooter must move the muzzle downwardly and slightly to the left to realign with the target. Causes may include the ergonomics of how a firearm is typically held by a shooter, the effect of rifling, if present (which usually spins the projectile in a right handed direction), and the cycling of an auto-loading action (including rotation and reciprocation of the bolt and ejection of a spent ammunition casing).
In addition to forces exerted during firing, such as recoil, lateral shift, vertical displacement, or longitudinal twisting, other consequences of firing a firearm, including muzzle flash, firing noise and concomitant firing concussion, have been the target of efforts to reduce or minimize these consequences' impacts on the shooter in various scenarios. Generally speaking, these prior art devices are good at carrying out only a singular function for the shooter (noise/concussive force redirection, flash suppression, or recoil reduction/shooting accuracy). A shooter will typically attach one of these devices to the firearm as dictated by the particular situation presented to the shooter. If the situation changes, the previously attached device needs to be removed and replaced with an alternative device designed to carry out the function of highest importance to the shooter that is required by the changing situation.
When a round is fired, the noise level and associated concussive force can be quite high and large, respectively. Certain linear compensators have been developed to direct most of the noise and/or concussive forces forward of the shooter as a means of reducing their overall impacts. However, linear compensators generally do not reduce recoil forces or appreciably reduce the amount of muzzle flash associated with the firing.
Muzzle flash can be an issue for the shooter in tactical situations where a shooter wishes to keep his exact location away from opponents, especially at night. Flash suppressors are devices which are attached to the muzzle of a firearm and are designed to reduce the visible signature of expanding gases visible to the shooter. These gases, visible as a flash, are distracting to the shooter and may be temporarily blinding in low-light conditions. Additionally, night vision devices of the type now commonly used by the military may be rendered temporarily inoperable as a result of the short-term saturation of the light sensor mechanism in such night vision devices.
Muzzle flash is typically addressed at least in part through the use of flash suppressors. Generally speaking, prior art flash suppressors are designed with a series of vent channels that allow propellant gases to exit the barrel of the firearm in a controlled fashion and over a large surface area, thereby dissipating the flash which would otherwise be present from concentrated gases exiting the muzzle end of a barrel behind the projectile at firing. These vent channels, likewise, generally vent propellant gases in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of a firearm barrel.
In situations where reduction of shooter impacts caused by recoil or other forces exerted during firing, such as lateral shift, vertical displacement, or longitudinal twisting is important, muzzle brakes tend to be employed. Reduction of these impacts becomes tantamount whenever high levels of shooting accuracy are needed, such as in target competitions. In these situations, the recoil from firing a round is often a hindrance to the shooter, no matter how small. A muzzle brake works to counteract this force and reduce recoil and muzzle rise by redirecting gas from the cartridge.
Firearm muzzle brakes are devices typically attached to or integral with the barrel of a firearm, generally at the barrel's muzzle, which are designed so as to redirect the muzzle blast in order to reduce or control the effect of the recoil and/or lessen unwanted movement of the barrel by helping to stabilize the muzzle while firing. They usually do this in one or both of these ways. First, a muzzle brake may present a surface against which the propellant gases impact, causing that transferred force to pull the barrel forward, counteracting part of the recoil forces. Second, redirection of propellant gases laterally, or even somewhat rearwardly, reduce or neutralize the recoil effects of the muzzle blast. If uncorrected, these recoil effects may cause inaccuracies in the targeting of the firearm. Such muzzle brakes are generally constructed so as to provide for an alternative exit of propellant gases, usually in the form of one or more slots, vents, holes, channels and/or baffles positioned at some angle to the bore of the barrel, to compensate for the tendency of the muzzle to move upward when firing. These holes or channels are designed to exhaust propellant gases in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of a firearm barrel.
In other cases, a muzzle attachment or porting that is provided along the top of the barrel or that is otherwise upwardly directed, used in combination with minimal or absent redirection or porting that is downwardly directed, exerts a downward force on the muzzle endof the barrel that at least partially counteracts the muzzle rise or muzzle climb described above.
Additionally, the effective diameter of commercially available muzzle brakes, suppressors, or compensators, is generally much larger than the diameter of the projectile that is propelled through it, resulting in an inefficient performance of these devices. What is greatly needed is a muzzle brake and flash suppressor which is effective at reducing experienced recoil, and stabilizing the muzzle. Such a device would ideally have an effective inner diameter as close to the diameter of the projectile being discharged through it in order to provide for maximum effectiveness of the device. Many other benefits, objects and the like will be evident to those of skill in the art once armed with the disclosures of the present invention.
Such muzzle devices, whether a muzzle brake, flash suppressor, or compensator, include outlet ports that are asymmetric from top to bottom, about an imaginary horizontal plane. That is, porting is minimized or absent along the bottom of the device and is maximized toward the top and/or sides of the device. The porting in such devices, however, is symmetrical left to right, about an imaginary vertical plane.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles, or the like, which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.
Linear compensators, flash suppressors and muzzle brakes are used in the art to give the user a tactical advantage or to reduce adverse environmental conditions. These prior art devices may perform reasonably well in addressing a single need, but still fail to address numerous other issues surrounding firearm use. There is not a device known in the prior art which satisfactorily allows a shooter to select the most appropriate device for his firearm in changing conditions without having to remove one type of muzzle device from the firearm in favor of another. Nor is there any single muzzle device integral to a firearm barrel that is capable of providing all of the functions of a linear compensator, flash suppressor and muzzle brake. A need exists for improved firearm devices designed to assist a user in stabilizing a firearm during its firing operation and/or adapting the firearm to changing conditions without having the physically exchange one device for another. Consequently, there is a need in the art for an adjustable muzzle device capable of providing, alternatively, the performance of a linear compensator, muzzle brake or flash suppressor, preferably a device wherein any adjustments to the device's performance that would be useful or necessary to accommodate changing conditions may be made, preferably readily and simply, while the device remains attached to the firearm. The present invention is directed to these and other important ends.